Filling machine



7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Invenia 15 202): fbid/zer Sept. 28, 1943. KOTCHER 2,330,596

FILLING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1943 7 Sheets-Sheet 2- I n venior ,72202'22 Eff/262 Sept. 28, 1943. LKOTCHER 2,330,596

FILLING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1943 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 A iiomgys I m M I l 1. KOTCHER FILLiNG MACHINE Filed July 25, 1943 Sept. 28, 1943.

- l. KOTCHER FILLING MACHINE Filed July 23, 1943 J Spt. 28,

7 Sheets-Sheet s In ventor 'ZZoZU/aer A iiomeus Patented Sept. 28, 1943 FELINGT'MAGHINE vlirwirl Kotcher, Brblokls'einfl. Y.

Application. .mi-y 23,194%;Siiath d- 4955958 Claims. (p1; 226-95)" This invention relates to acontainerffilling Ina: chinea nd' is an improvement. overf that forming the subject matter of an application fil'edloy'm'e on May 19, 1937, Serial No. 143,583, wlfichhas' meitured into Patent No; 2,167,894; dated August 1 1939'. c The present invention-together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figurel is an elevation of the invention. Figure 2 is a. section on the'line 2-2 of'Figure '1. Figure 3 is a section on approximately the'line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure'4 is a section on ,the'line"44'of1=igu1ie'3. Figure 5 is a. se ction'on the line 5 5of Figure"4 Figurefi is a section on the line' E6 of Figure'4'. Figure '7 is a section on the line T1 o' f 1f, Figure Bisa section on the line 8"3 of Figu're i. 'FigureQ is ase'oti'on ont'heiline 9+9 of Figure I4.

Figure 10 1s a section' on the' line Ill-moi Figure 1. o

Figure 11 is a section on the line ii- H .of Figurel. v v

Figure '12 is a. section on the line I2-l2" of i ure 1.

Figure 13 is a, section on the line i3- l'3 of Figure'12. V

Figure 141;; an elevation with partsbrok'en away andparts in section showing a, of the invention. Y

Figure 15 is a section on the line |5-'l5 of F'igurel. I,

'Figure' 16 is a section on the line 'l'6 l6" of Figurel.

"Figure 1'7 isfla section on the'line lT' lT of Figure 14. v I c .In these drawings the letter A indicates" a supporting frame which is provided withjth .foot portions I to which the 'fr'ame'is connected by the adjusting means 2 sothatitheheight of the iram'e canbe adjustedfrom' the fioo'r'or other surface;' The top part of the frame at the ends thereof has the grooved rollers '3 'journ'aledtherein for the endless'conveyorfl which is composed of ajplurality of endless coil springs which engagethe groovesof' the rollers, the springs being. spaced apart as shown in Figure 2. The rear roller: is drivenfrom e'motor'Mjthrough means of .a belt and pulleys shown generally at 5 andthe front end of theconveyor is adapted to receive'cartons asthey comefrom arwax'ing machine. Guide rails- 6" are supported by the? upper part" of the fiam'e; one on each side "of'the' conveyor.

modification Uprights 1 are supported a'ft fi'ieir liqiiid t6 I the lwe end dfth-tlibfihd awed-t tiilrie llii pa'ss iiig use the tube 9--$1.I1"d suitably supboiited and hdvi ng *the' stein"- k2 0i: :1," vent'ivfalve 1ts loW-r ehd',-e;:spiing'slrd tend to 'hold trieweiv ill; a'gihst a valve sat' I 5: at thedower' enul of -t inner-tube tjl. A sleeve-1o t'e'rior flange r8 being rormed onrtheioweri artof niensuiirigfitahkcw whensaith 20* isiiii raised position; n-snwiH-ibe seen'ifrom Figure ":11- when reservoir? into ithe measuring itstnkiand- :;air will I bewenteo iron'i the mehsuringitaiik'ithroughfthe iiiii-ei tiild l-l. 'Thismeasufihgtank:zrms divided iiito atplureii ty of cnemiiersguone for e'aichkvalve devioe' -so t'ha't each chamber will receive uquia trom the resenvoir wheii measuring. tankrhas been r'aiised. or'defi' to the capac'ityldf .the chambers of themeasunsg :tetnk (I i-provide :intericliaiigei'ble fillers t ai -different sizesbwhich are placdfs in the ehambe'rstas shown iniFi'g n-e 1'1; ea3oh-fi11er beingof tubu'lam shapei" "The lid no of the measuring tarihisirefnovabiyrheld on the tank by the eiampirig nevieeshngleech-of which is equippeci with e screw; zar'in 'itsiower bent enddor engojg'ing tlie *bottoni ofithe testnk to cause itsmp p'i' bent-end tofiengag-the?lidee Eigure il Eaich-= cns'nibe or -the":measur'ing=1tank' has a tub -2- 3 divzi'idifigWher'etihi'n, :tYre upper-end of the t me being-threaded t f the cnem'b'ery rid t n wsman-5?; A "set 26" has ekl'i tul o end a esa z' i i lcw'i eif oi e'a-eii't e, airs the head. Each head is formed with the depending and diverging flanges 29 on its sides. The lower end of the tube 24 is provided with openings 30, see Figure 12, and a plug 3i fits in the lower end of the tube and has its upper end formed with a sloping wall 32 for deflecting the liquid passing through the tube 24 through the openings 39 and toward the farthest corner of a container C. It is to be understood that this device is mainly designed for use with containers or cartons having an opening in its top which is placed near one corner and this defiector 32 deflects the milk to the farthest corner. It will also be understood that when the head 27 is in lowered position, due to the ,action of spring 28, the lower end of the sleevewill close the opening 30 and thus no liquid can escape from the lower end of the tube, Figure 12 showing the parts in raised position for perv mitting the liquid to pass from the tube 24 into a container or carton.

The measuring tank has projections 33 at its ends formed with vertical holes through which pass the guide rods 34, see Figure 10, the rods being supported by the uprights I and a spring 35 is placed on each rod under the projection 33 and acts as a cushion for the measuring tank.

The measuring tank 20 is moved vertically in the following. manner. A pair of bars 35 is pivoted as at 31 to a lower part of the main frame and a cross bar 38 is pivoted to the upper end of each bar 36 and a link 39 is pivoted at its lower end to an intermediate part of each cross bar 33 and at its upper end to a bracket 40 depending from the bottom of the measuring tank. A short bar 4| is pivoted to the other end of each bar 38 and has its lower end threaded to a link orbar 42, this bar having its lower end threaded to a short bar 43 which is pivoted to one end of a bar 44 which has its other end pivoted to. alower part of each bar 36. Each bar 46 carries a hanger which carries aroller 45 and these rollers engage the cams 41 on a horizontally arranged shaft 48 journaled in the lower part .of the main frame and driven from y a motor M" by the gearing 49. It will be understood that by threading the link 52 to the parts M and 43 the amount of movement imparted to the tank 20 by the cams 41 can be adjusted. Of course, these cams.v are so formed as. to hold the measuring tank in raised position a sufficient length of time to permit the chambers of said tank to be filled from the reservoir and as will be seen from Figure 11 when the tank 20 is raised it will open the valve means V so that milk or liquid will flowfrom the reservoir into the chambers of the tank; 20. Then when the proper amount of liquid has been placed in the chambers of the tank 20 the rollers 46 are engaged by the low parts of the cams 4'! so that the measuring tank moves downwardly and the valve means V closed.

The elevator E for elevating the cartons from the conveyor againstvthe heads 21 of the valve means depending from the tank 20, is composed of a plurality of elongated plates 50 set on edge and the spacer members 51 placed between the lower parts of the plates so. that the plates are spaced apart and are arranged to pass between the springs of the conveyor 4 as shown in Figure 7. The plates 50 of the elevator pass through slots in an inverted horizontally arranged channel member 52, forming a part of the mainframe and over which the upper reach of the conveyor lpasses, The bottom of the elevator is con nected with the upper ends of the rods 53, the rods being arranged in pairs, as shown in Figure 3, and the lower ends of the rods of each pair are connected together by a cross piece 54, see Figure 4, and said rods pass through cross pieces 55 at the lower part of the frame and also through bushings 58 formed in a drip pan 5'! suspended under the upper portion of the main frame by the hangers 58 as shown more particularly in Figures 1, 7 and 10, this pan, of course, receiving any liquid dripping from the parts of the apparatus. Thus the rods 53 are guided for vertical movement and as shown in Figure 3 they are preferably of rectangular shape in cross section and the openings through which they pass are of the same shape. As shown more particularly in Figure 4 a pair of levers 59 are pivotedintermediate their ends to the lower part of the main frame as shown at 60 and the outer ends of these levers engage under the cross pieces 54, A short yoke BI is pivoted at one end to a part of the main frame and its other end rests on the inner ends of the levers 59, as shown in Figures 4 and 8 and said other end of the yoke carries a roller 62 for engagement by a cam 63 on the shaft 48. Thus whenthe yoke .51 is depressed. by the cam 63 the levers 59 are tilted so that the outer ends will raise the rods 53 which results in raising of the elevator to lift .a group of cartons C off the conveyor and to cause the upper ends of the cartons to engage the heads 2'! of the valve means depending from the tank 29 which opens such means to permit liquid from the tank 20 to enter the cartons as shown in Figure 12. As will be seen from this figure as the carton is raised the conical end of the plug 3| enters the opening in the carton and then the head 21 is pressed upwardly to cause the sleeve 26 to move above the openings 30 so that liquid will flow from the tank Zil through the tube 24 and openingsl3il into the carton.

In order to prevent the first carton of a group of cartons from being moved by the conveyor beyond filling position I provide a pair of vertically arranged shafts 64 supported for rotary movement in the frame and arranged one at one side of the conveyor and one at the opposite side thereof and these shafts are arranged adjacent the rear end of the elevator. The upper end of ea'chshait carries a finger 65, these fingers acting as stops for the first carton of a group when moved at right angles to the .conveyor to engage said carton. Arms 66 are connected to the lower ends of the shafts and links 6'! connect the arms with a slide 68 horizontally arranged in the lower part of the main frame and supported by the cross pieces 69 forming part of the main frame. The slide carries a roller "1'0, see Figures 2, 4 5 an'd'o and a spring 1| connected with the slide holds theslide with the roller, against a cam 12 on the "shaft 48. This cam 12 is so formed asto causeithe slide 58 to movethe shafts 64 toswing the fingers into holding position just before the cam 53 operates the means for raising the elevator and then to move the fingers 65 into the position shown-in Figure 2 just before the cartons are placed on the conveyor by the lowering of the elevator;

I'also provide a pair of shafts 13 having fingers .with a roller :19 forengageinent by .cam'BB eon shaft it and;:a:spring:81 holds the roller inen- :gagement with the cams, .these ,parts beingssim-ilar to the parltsfonmovingtheshaftszfi l and this cam 7.80 acts to move the shafts 1:3:to place the fingers 211i :into1holding-position,:asshownin Figure 2, when a group -of cartons zhas been pla'ced over the elevator so as to stop thefollowing-cartons from beingxmoved bythe conveyorand then when the filled car-tons have been lowered upon 2:

the conveyor the fingers 'l l move into-inoperative position to permitanother group of cartons to be placed overthe elevator.

The roller 62 of yoke-6 l is heldin. engagement with cam 63' "-by springs "82 connecting projections on therods 53 with the cross -piec'es 55, these springs of course-tending to hold the eleva tor and the rods 53 in lowered -position and with the inner ends of the-levers 59*p1'essing upwardly the yoke-ti to-hold the roller-62 -inengagement ,withthecam 63. Across piece 83 connects the two bars 35 together-and the pan is formed with the recesses 51' in one side thereof 'forthe passage of the members -42.

."As will be seen the conveyor 4 is constantly driven from'the motor M'and'shaft48 'isdriven by motor'lvl and the cams on'shaft'48are soconstructed andarranged that the cam- 41 will raise the tank 26 to engage the valve devices'V of the reservoir soithatthe chambers of tank Zilwill be filled from the reservoir and'then'the jtankZU will be lowered so that the valve means will close. The conveyor will move a group of cartons over the elevatorland the fingers 65 .will' be swung inwardly to engage and hold the first carton of the group under the'lastvalve' means oftankZll. When the last carton of ,the group has been placed over the elevator the fingers 14 will swing into position shown inFigureiZ to stop movement of thefollowing cartons and'then cam 63 will operate the actuating means associated therewith to raise the elevator so that the group of cartons thereon will engage 'the valve means of the tank 29 so that the liquidin the chambers of said tank will flow into the cartons. 'Then'the elevator will-be lowered to place the 'filled cartons upon the conveyor, fingers 65 will move into inoperative position so that the filled cartons can move with the conveyor from over the elevator and the fingers M will move into inoperative position to permit a new group of cartons to move over the elevator. The conveyor can move the filled cartons to a capping machine as in the before mentioned application.

In the modification shown in Figures 14, 15, 16 and 1'7 the chambered tank is eliminated and the valve means shown generally at 85 of this chambered tank are carried by the reservoir 8. However, the tube 24" of each of these valve means 85 extends upwardly into the reservoir and a receptacle 86 has its reduced lower end slidably arranged on each of these tubes 24, these receptacles 85 taking the place of the chambers of the tank 29. A vertically movable horizontal frame 87 is located in the reservoir and the receptacles 86 pass through this frame and are removably held therein by the latch means 88 as shown in Figure 15. A pair of bars 89 are arranged at each end of the reservoir and are suitably supported for vertical movement and their upper ends are of hook construction and enter the reservoir where they are attached to the ends of the frame as shown at 90. These rods 89 are normally held in lowered position by springs 9| and they icariy the rollers $2 :for "engaging the cams flsgontheishaft d'd's fllheseicams 92am so constructed andaarranged thatthe :frame 87 will :bedowered beforefthe elevator is raised sothat the :-upper ends of ithe receptacles "will .:-be ifilled ;then .the :frame with the-receptacles 86, raised {to place athe upper :ends 10f the receptacles above the liquid level, as shown in Figure "14.

ZIhenrthe elevator .is ,raisedtto cause the cartons to engage the valve .rmeans '85 ;so that the liquid in the receptacles will flow thronghzthe tubes :24 into the :cartons. slnjother respects this' form of the inventionsisssimilar-to that firstzdescribed.

.sF-igures "l4 and :15 zshowsanloat 94 'forucontrolfiling a valve 35am an*inletpipe'i96 so uastorhold "the liquid level in the reservoir constant and :similarr'neans ima'y be :used with the reservoir 28 inthe.first'form of the' invention. v

It is thought from the foregoing:description "that the advantages and -novel v features 0f the "inventionwill -bezreadily-apparent.

It-is to "be un'ders'tood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement --of the several parts -provided that such 'cha'nges' fall within *the scope of the appended -'claims. *Eaving 'described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

' receptacle filling 'machine comprising' a "frame, a reservoir supported at the top'o'f the frame," vertically movable measuring 1 chambers, a rotary "shaft 'journaled in the frame, uneans actuated by the shaft for moving =the-chambers ea position where they will be 'filled'withliquid from the reservoir and then movethe chambers --to 'a -non-filling"pos ition, waive means depen'ding from "the chambers, a vertically movable elevator supported by the frame, 'a conveyor for moving receptacles over'the elevator, vertically -movable-uprights:connected at their upper ends to the elevator,lever s extending'in opposite directions and having their outer ends engaging "lower end parts of the uprights, a roller -car ing 'member "engaging the inner ends of the "le- 'vers', ac'am'ongthe'shaftjengaging the roller of said member for actuating the levers to cause 'the'uprights to rnove "theelevator vertically, said elevator when raised moving receptacles from the conveyor upwardly against the valve means for opening said valve means to permit liquid to flow from'the chambers into the receptacles.

2. In a receptacle filling machine, a supporting frame, a reservoir at the top of the frame, vertically movable measuring chambers, a shaft, means actuated thereby for moving the chambers to a position where they will be filled from the reservoir and then to a non-filling position, valve means depending from the chambers, an elevator, a conveyor for conveying receptacles over the elevator, means actuated by the shaft for moving the elevator vertically, said elevator when raised moving receptacles from the conveyor against the valve means to open such valve means to permit liquid from the chambers to flow into the receptacles and when in lowered position the elevator returning the filled receptashaft arranged adjacent the rear end of the conveyor, a finger on the upper end of the shaft for preventing a receptacle from being moved by the conveyor from over the rear end of the and engaging the rollers for actuating the vertical shafts to swing the fingers thereof into .op-

erative and inoperative position and means for holding each slide with its roller in engagement with its cam.

3. In a carton filling machine, a supporting frame, a reservoir at the upper end of the frame, a chambered member supported for vertical movement in the frame under the reservoir, valve means depending from thereservoir and opened when engaged by the chambered member when the said memberis moved upwardly, to permit ,liquid to fiow from the reservoir into the chambers of said member, valve means depending from the chambers, a cross bar, a link connecting an intermediate part of the cross bar with the bottom part of the chambered member, a vertically arranged bar pivotally connected to one end of the cross bar and having its lower end pivotally connected with the frame, a second vertically arranged bar adjustable as to its length and connected at its upper end with the other end of the cross bar, a second cross bar having one end pivotally connected with the first-mentioned vertical bar and its other end pivotally connected with the lower end of the second vertical bar, a roller carried by the second cross bar, a drive shaft, a cam thereon for engaging the roller for raising and lowering the chambered member and means for forcing receptacles against the valve means of the chambered member to open the same to permit liquid to pass from the chambers into the receptacles.

4. A carton filling machine comprising a frame, a drive shaft horizontally arranged and journaled in the lower part of the frame, a reservoir supported at the top of the frame, vertically movable measuring chambers, means including cam means on the shaft for moving the chami ,bers to a position where they will be filled from the reservoir and then moved to non-filling position, valve means controlling the discharge of liquid from the chambers, a horizontally arranged conveyor, an elevator for raising cartons from the conveyor against the valvemeans for permitting liquid to pass from the chambers into thecartons, means including cam means on the shaft for moving the elevator vertically, a vertically arranged shaft arranged adjacent the front end of theelevator, a vertically arranged shaft arranged adjacent the rear end of the elevator, a transverse finger on the upper end-of each shaft, said fingers when in one position preventing movement of a carton by the conveyor and in another position permitting the carton to be moved by the conveyor, means including cam meansonthe shaftfor operating the vertical shafts to move the fingers to operative and inoperative position and a pan located below portions of the conveyor and below the elevator for catching liquid dripping from the parts.

from the reservoir and then moved to non-filling,

position, valve means controlling the discharge of liquid from the chambers, a horizontally arranged co'nveyor, an elevator for raising cartons from the, conveyor against the valve means for permitting liquid to pass from the chambers into the cartons, means including cam means on the shaft for moving the elevator vertically, a vertically arranged shaft adjacent the front end 'of the elevator, a vertically arranged shaft arrangedl'adjacent the rear end of the elevator, a transverse finger on the upper end of each shaft, said fingers when in one position preventing movement of a carton by the conveyor and in another position permitting the carton to be moved by the conveyor, and means including cam means on the shaft for operating the vertical shafts to move the fingers to operative and inoperative position.

IRWIN KOTCHER. 

